Abstract
Biomass, as a renewable and clean energy resource, plays a vital role in energy security and greenhouse gas reduction across the world. This paper reports on our newly established technology: a downdraft fixed-bed biomass gasification system using nut shells (mainly apricot kernel shells) for electricity generation, heating and partially activated carbon production at the same time. Particularly, the key features of the gasification reactor will be presented in detail. In the commercial plant (3 MW scale) located in Hebei province, China, the typical energy conversion from apricot kernel shell gasification is as follows: 47% syngas, 44% char (partially activated carbon), 5% hot water, and 4% energy loss. The main gasification temperature is 600–800 °C, while the activation zone is 850–900 °C. The commercial system has currently been in operation for 4 years. Considering the partially activated carbon as a stable carbon carrier, the whole system features negative CO2 emissions.
Highlights
Gasification has been considered as a promising technological process for converting biomass into syngas consisting primarily of H2, CO, CO2, and CH4, which can be flexibly used for electricity generation in gas engines, used as building blocks to synthesize liquid fuels, or used as a hydrogen-rich gas for the refinery industry and fuel cells
The cost related to biomass supply must firstly be considered before commencing to establish a biomass gasification plant; (2) The feeder, as the first key unit for the gasification system, has to be well-designed and pre-tested as biomass flowability is very poor, causing bridging and blocking issues; (3) The poor flowability of biomass inside the gasification reactor could lead to gas channeling, localized high temperature, slag formation, and so on; (4) The purpose of gasification is to convert the carbonaceous materials into gaseous products as completely as possible
With the specially designed internal structure inside the gasification reactor, the system could continuously operate for three years without requiring major maintenance
Summary
Gasification has been considered as a promising technological process for converting biomass into syngas consisting primarily of H2 , CO, CO2 , and CH4 , which can be flexibly used for electricity generation in gas engines, used as building blocks to synthesize liquid fuels, or used as a hydrogen-rich gas for the refinery industry and fuel cells. The newly proposed biomass gasification system [20] that uses the “dirty” gas coming out of the gasifier directly has demonstrated its effectiveness in a commercial plant. The key features of the gasification system and the gasifier reactor will be firstly introduced, followed by descriptions of its commercial performances, including the product distribution, economic, and environmental aspects. This poly-generation system has provided a new route for promoting the development of biomass gasification technology, contributing to the reduction of our carbon footprint
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